Tape roll holder



Sept. 17, 1968 w. M. TOLAAS TAPE ROLL HOLDER Filed July 20, 1967 INVENTOR W/LL/AM M. TOL/IAS T ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,401,792 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 3,401,792 TAPE ROLL HOLDER William M. Tolaas, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Hoerner- Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed July 20, 1967, Ser. No. 654,805 4 Claims. (Cl. 20652) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tape roll holder including a sleeve of rectangular tubular form adapted to snugly accommodate an object having a hollow core such as a roll of tape. The face panels of the sleeve overlie the ends of the tape roll. Each face panel includes a foldable tab substantially equal in width to the diameter of the hollow core, and of a length greater than one-half the axial length of the roll core but less than the full length thereof. The fold lines connecting the flaps to the face panels are in right angular relation so the flaps intersect when folded inwardly. The ends of the flaps are notched, and interengage when in roll supporting position.

This invention relates to an improvement in tape roll holder and deals particularly with means for holding a roll of tape or similar object having a central opening in position within a sleeve or carton.

Various means have been produced for holding a roll of tape within a sleeve or carton. The tape of the type in question is usually pressure sensitive tape of one kind or another, and is wound about a cylindrical core. In order to package such tape as inexpensively as possible, it is usually contained in a rectangular sleeve. Means are provided on one or both panels of the sleeve which may be folded into the core and interlocked with the core in one manner or another to prevent it from sliding.

As examples of structures which have been previously used, the structure of Patent No. 2,767,833, issued Oct. 23, 1956, to M. W. Hedin, has been very widely produced. Other structures are shown in my previous Patent 3,014,578, issued Dec. 26, 1961, and Patent No. 3,000,494, issued Sept. 19, 1961, to L. P. Monroe. One of the difficulties with these structures lies in the difficulties experienced in interlocking the tabs together, and in some instances this interlocking is not particularly effective. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device of the type described which is provided with roll holding tabs which interlock more positively than most of the previous structures.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a sleeve having a flap which is substantially equal in width to the inner diameter of the roll core foldable into right angular relation to one of the panels overlying the end of the core, and a second flap or tab of equal width foldable into the roll core from the opposite side thereof. The two flaps are arranged at right angles to one another and the ends of the tabs are notched or slotted. As a result, the slots in the ends of the tabs interlock when the flaps are folded inwardly into the roll core, and serve as a positive means for holding the core from movement.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the flaps or tabs may be easily folded by automatic equipment if it is so desired. The equipment only requires means on opposite sides of the sleeve for engaging the flaps and simultaneously fol-ding them inwardly into the roll core until the two flaps interengage. Thus, the task of mechanizing the packaging is extremely low.

Description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tape roll package showing one of the main panels with the flap formed therein extending down into the roll core.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the sleeve in inverted position from FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the tape roll package.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view through the package, position of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the sleeve is formed.

The tape roll holder is indicated in general by the letter A and includes a face panel '10, a side wall panel 11, a second face panel 12, and a second wall panel 13 hingedly secured together along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16 respectively. A glue flap 17 is hingedly connected to the face panel 10 along a fold line 19 which is parallel to the previously mentioned fold lines. The face panels 10 and 12, and the wall panels 11 and 13 are of substantially equal size so that when the glue flap 17 is secured in face contact with the wall panel 13, an open ended sleeve or rectangular cross section is formed.

A fold line 20 which is of a length approximately equal to the inner diameter of the core 21 of the tape roll B is provided in the panel 10 midway between the longitudinal edges 18 and 22 of the blank, and midway between the fold lines 14 and 19. A U-shaped cut line 23 having parallel sides 24 and a connecting base 25 is provided in the panel 10, the ends of the U-shaped cut line 13 terminating at the ends of the fold line 20. A notch or slot 26 is provided at the center of the connecting edge 25. The cut line 23 and the fold line 20 define a generally rectangular flap 27 which may be folded out of the plane of the face panel 10.

A fold line 29 is provided in the face panel 12 parallel to and midway between the fold lines 15 and 16. The ends of the fold line 29 are also at equal distances from the blank edges 18 and 22. The fol-d line 29 is also substantially equal in length to the inner diameter of the tape roll core 21. A U-shaped out line 30 is provided in the panel 12 having parallel sides 31 and a connecting base portion 32, the ends of sides 31 of the out line 30 terminating at the ends of the fold line 29. The connecting edge 32 of the fold line 29 is provided with a notch 33 located centrally between the ends of the U- shaped out line. The cut line 30 thus defines a generally rectangular tab or flap 34 having a central notch 33. The combined distance between the base of the notch 26 and the fold line 20, and between the base of the notch 33 and the fold line 29 is substantially equal to the width of the side walls 11 and 13.

In operation, the tape roll B is centered in the rectangular sleeve generally indicated by the letter A, and the two flaps 27 and 34 are folded inwardly into right angular relation to the face panels to which they are hinged. When fully folded, the notches 26 and 33 interengage to rigidly hold the tape roll from sliding within the carton. As will be noted from FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the rounded corners of the cut lines 23 and 30 extend somewhat beyond the cylindrical inner surface of the core 21, making it necessary for these flaps to flex or distort to some extent during insertion. As a result, there is little tendency for the flaps to fold back out of the core once they are engaged. Furthermore, in interlocking the notches 26 and 33, it is necessary for the face panels 10 and 12 to bow apart to some extent, further assisting in the interlocking of the flaps once these panels have returned to their normal position.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my tape roll holder; and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A holder for an object having a hollow core including:

a sleeve of rectangular section having parallel face panels adapted to overlie the ends of the hollow core and side walls, connecting opposed parallel edges of the face panels,

each of said face panels including a fold line of a length equal to the dimension of the core,

a pair of substantially U-shaped cut lines terminating at the ends of the fold line and defining a flap foldable inwardly into the core,

the fold lines being in right angular relation so that the flaps intersect, the ends of said flaps having notches which interengage when said fiaps are folded inwardly into right angular relation to the face panels. 2. The structure of claim 1 and in which longitudinal centers of said fold relation are in Opposed relation.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which the core is cylindrical.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which the flaps are of a length greater than one-half and less than the full length of the core.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,229,812 1/1966 Metzger 206-58 MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner. 

